AZG Armenian Daily #145, 18/08/2005

Parallels

JEWS LEAVING GAZA

What Will the Armenians of Zangelan Feel When the Time X Comes?

The withdrawal of Gaza strip settlers that came as part of Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s “disengagement” plan entered the forced
evacuation phase yesterday. As a result of the “painful sacrifice”,
as Mr. Sharon called it, more than 7.000 Jews were to leave Gaza
occupied by the Israeli forces in 1967.

Interethnic and territorial conflicts keep smoldering in
different corners of the world. Each one of them has its
peculiarities. The Nagorno-Karabakh issue is certainly no match for
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Though having different historic
and legal backgrounds, they are united with unwritten laws that are
applied to many conflicts.

Although people in Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora consider
the territories controlled by Karabakh forces but administratively
belonging to Azerbaijan liberated, the time will come when Armenia and
Karabakh will be forced to give them up, at least some of them. How
will thousands of Armenians settled there leave these territories
and what will they receive in exchange?

Let us take a look at the withdrawal of Jews from Gaza first. The
Israeli government provides $150-400 thousand to each family
voluntarily leaving Gaza strip. Those opposing eviction will get
1/3 less the sum. The 7.000 Jews left Gaza under the cover of 40.000
Israeli policemen and soldiers and 7.500 Palestinian soldiers.

The step of Mr. Sharon and the Israeli government cannot be considered
a serious concession by the highest standards, more so if we think
of the Palestinians who have been failing for 50 years now to get
their state recognized and to take the territories assigned by the UN
resolution as Palestinian State under their control. But Ariel Sharon
views the withdrawal from only 25 settlements a serious concession to
put an end to the Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed. As Mr. Sharon carries
out his “disengagement” plan, the international media is standing by
his side publishing sensitive articles about resettled residents.

Official Yerevan keeps declaring that the neighboring regions of
Nagorno Karabakh are needed for security reasons only and they were
occupied in course of military operations. Such statements, especially
when they are uttered by defense minister, are a signal to the
thousands of Armenians inhabiting neighboring territories of Karabakh.

Contrary to Israel, Armenia did not inhabit these areas during the 10
years but it should have done so given the fact that Azerbaijan’s
ethnic cleansing and aggression turned 400.000 Armenians into
refugees. Armenians left behind 180.000 apartments and houses while
fleeing Azerbaijan. At least part of those Armenians could have become
resident of the neighboring regions.

It is very likely that Azerbaijan will not consider the return of 5
or 6 regions as a concession from the Armenian side in the Karabakh
issue. Not because they administratively belong to Azerbaijan but
because they are nearly deserted. The OSCE fact-finding mission had a
chance to make sure of that when it visited the regions to check Baku’s
claims that official Yerevan inhabits and appropriates the territories.

Contrary to the Jews of Gaza, there are no Armenians in neighboring
regions of Karabakh to claim their rights and none of them will weep
not to leave his residence. Contrary to Mr. Sharon, who pictures the
withdrawal as a “painful sacrifice” before the world community while
making only small concession, the Armenian President will not have
such tramp card.

What will be the feelings of Armenians in Zangelan, Minjevan or
Ghubatlu when the time X comes? Hardly anyone will offer them hundreds
of thousands of dollars. The residents of the neighboring regions
are ready to leave their places if provided a roof somewhere else,
without demanding concession in exchange.

By Tatoul Hakobian